More than 20 were gathered outside of Coastal Bend College in Alice, while Air Med South Texas medic Eduardo Garcia showed them around an ambulance. He assured the students that, in time, the work would become second nature to them.

“Don’t worry,” he told them. “By the end of this, I guarantee you’ll learn.”

The HALO-Flight Academy is a fast-paced course to prepare students for a career in the emergency medical services field. The 200-hour course takes about six months to complete.

“There’s a lot of rural communities who have their own ambulance services,” instructor Wendy Greer said. “They would benefit from having additional people certified going back into their communities.”

The students know they may be responsible for someone’s life someday. They said they’ll be up for the challenge.